Great News: Berkeley Bans Fur!

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The city of Berkeley has banned the sale of all fur products!

In a landmark move towards a more ethical way of living, the city of Berkeley has banned the sale of all fur products. This is the second city in the US to do so as Berkeley City Council members approved this legislation with a vote of 6-3. The result is a city-wide ban on all fur sales.

This legislation was sponsored by Councilman Kriss Worthington and headed by Berkeley Coalition for Animals. Jay Quigley who is a founding member of this organization said, “The millions of poor foxes, rabbits, minks and other animals who are bred for their fur typically spend their entire lives in cages barely bigger than their bodies. Then they’re slaughtered by gassing, neck-breaking or electrocution. This brutal industry is radically inconsistent with Berkeley’s values.”

West Hollywood, California passed the first legislation banning fur in 2013. This ban went into effect on September 21, 2013, and was the first ban of this nature in the US. Similarly to Berkeley, the City of West Hollywood believed that the selling of fur was inconsistent with the values of a city that cared about animal welfare.

Why is the ban of fur sales so important? According to the World Society for the Protection of Animals, 60 million mink and 6.5 million foxes are killed each year on fur farms. And if rabbits are included in this number, the number of animals killed annually for fur exceeds one billion.

Hopefully, other cities will follow the examples set by Berkeley and West Hollywood and ban the sale of all fur products within their city limits. Until then, you can do your part by choosing not to purchase items that are made of fur or animal by-products such as leather. By choosing man-made textiles like vegan leathers and faux fur, you are helping to promote a more compassionate world for us all to enjoy, even the animals.